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Rabona

Association football tactic

Association football tactic

In association football, the rabona is the technique of kicking the football where the kicking leg is crossed behind the back of the standing leg.

There are several reasons why a player might opt to strike the ball this way: for example, a right-footed striker advancing towards the goal slightly on the left side rather than having the goal straight in front may feel that his shot power or accuracy with his left foot is inadequate (more colloquially, the player has "no left"), so will perform a rabona in order to take a better shot. Another scenario could be a right-footed winger sending a cross while playing on the left side of the pitch without having to turn first. Another reason why a player could perform a rabona might be to confuse a defending player, or simply to show off their own ability, as it is considered a skillful trick at any level.

History

Rabona in Spanish means to play hooky, to skip school. The name derives from its first documented performance by Ricardo Infante in a game between Estudiantes de la Plata and Rosario Central in 1948. The football magazine El Gráfico published a front cover showing Infante dressed as a schoolboy with the caption "El infante que se hizo la rabona" (In English: "The kid who plays hooky"). Another supposed origin for the name is that Rabona is derived from the Spanish word rabo for tail, and that the move resembled the swishing of a cow's tail between or around its legs. In Brazil, the move is also known as the chaleira (kettle) or letra (letter).

The first filmed rabona was performed by Brazilian footballer Pelé in the São Paulo state championship in 1957. Giovanni "Cocò" Roccotelli is credited with popularising the rabona in Italy during the 1970s; at the time, this move was simply called a "crossed-kick" (incrociata, in Italian).

In addition to the aforementioned players, some examples of various well known exponents of the rabona, who have successfully performed the skill in competitions and are also known to employ it frequently during matches, are: Fernando Redondo, Alan Ball, Diego Maradona, Romário, Roberto Baggio, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pablo Aimar, Raúl Jiménez, Claudio Borghi, Matías Fernández, Matías Urbano, Mário Jardel, David Villa, Ariel Ortega, Robinho, Alberto Aquilani, Eden Hazard, Joe Cole, Ronaldinho, Ángel Di María, Rivaldo, Ricardo Quaresma, Erik Lamela, Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Carlos, Matthew Kowalczyk, Neymar, Luis Suárez, Jay-Jay Okocha. Paul Gascoigne famously scored a penalty using the technique in an exhibition match.

Other players who have also used this skill successfully during a competitive match are: Rayan Cherki, Xavi Simons (Roemania - The Netherlands 0-3) Amr Elsolia, Andrés Vasquez, Djalminha, Fahad Al Enezi, Thomas Müller, Manolis Skoufalis, Léo Lima, Marcos Rojo, Érik Lamela (once in the River Plate youth sides, once in 2014, and once in 2021), Marcelo Carrusca, Jordan Henderson, Dimitri Payet, Carlos Bacca, Fabrizio Miccoli, Mario Balotelli, Jonathan Calleri, Diego Perotti, Mikael Lustig, Eran Zahavi, Robert Lewandowski, and Jaden Philogene, among many others; Johnny Giles of Leeds United also performed one in the famous sequence of possession against Southampton in 1972 during a 7–0 win.

Other sports and uses

American football

  • The first known use of the rabona in American football was by Dallas Cowboys placekicker Toni Fritsch, who was a former soccer player. He used it late in the fourth quarter of the 1972 NFC Divisional playoffs during an onside kick, that contributed to a historic come from behind 30–28 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
  • Placekicker Chris Boswell successfully executed a rabona onside kick for Rice University in a loss against the University of Houston on September 21, 2013. Boswell had learned the trick from his father, who grew up playing association football in Brazil. When playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 6, 2016, Boswell used the rabona to attempt an onside kick against the Baltimore Ravens, which was recovered by the defense.
  • In the 2015 Alamo Bowl, Kansas State University placekicker Matthew McCrane successfully executed a rabona kick, though it was recovered by their opponents, the UCLA Bruins.
  • On October 30, 2022, New York Jets punter/kickoff specialist Braden Mann unsuccessfully attempted a rabona onside kick against the New England Patriots in a 22–17 loss.

Other uses

  • The rabona is a dance step used in the tango. The dance step takes its name from the football kick.
  • In Argentina and Bolivia the term "rabona" refers to camp followers, women who followed the army, cooking and serving their husbands, fathers and partners who were soldiers, providing nursing services, carrying their arms and munitions, and gathering intelligence which could assist the military.

References

References

  1. (24 November 2013). "20 Football Tricks and the Players Who Invented Them". Bleacher Report.
  2. [http://www.clarin.com/deportes/stylecolorBF1424Planeta-Redondoibr-fundador-rabona_0_474552831.html "El fundador de la rabona"] {{Webarchive. link. (2016-03-04 . {{in lang). es Clarin.com
  3. (24 October 2014). "Enraptured by 'rabonas'". FIFA.com.
  4. (2 February 2007). "Cocò Roccotelli, il mago della rabona". La Gazzetta dello Sport.
  5. link. (28 September 2007 {{in lang). it
  6. [http://www.sportpiceno.biz/giovanniroccotelli.htm "Cocò, l'acrobata del numero 7"] {{webarchive. link. (19 February 2009 {{in lang). it
  7. (10 October 2014). "The Joy of Six: rabonas". The Guardian.
  8. (24 October 2014). "The 6 greatest rabonas ever seen". The Mirror.
  9. (18 December 2014). "The 'rabonas' from the greats that stunned the world". AS.com.
  10. (24 October 2014). "Gol di rabona: così Lamela prenota il premio Puskas 2015". Sky.it.
  11. (5 December 2014). "Non-league Rabona king Sean Geddes says wonder strike's brought him internet fame". The Express.
  12. (8 May 2016). "LOOK: Barcelona's Neymar shows off his crazy skills with fancy rabona pass". cbssports.com.
  13. (11 February 2013). "Premier League, crollo Liverpool ad Anfield: vince il Wba". Sky.it.
  14. (12 December 2016). "Jay-Jay Okocha: so good they named him twice". TheseFootballTimes.
  15. (12 February 2023). "Gazza's Rabona Penalty".
  16. (7 December 2025). "Rayan Cherki’s rabona assist and a moment to make you gasp". TheAthletic.
  17. [http://globotv.globo.com/globocom/globoesportecom/v/em-2003-souza-faz-gol-contra-o-fluminense-apos-cruzamento-de-letra-de-leo-lima/1789939/ "Em 2003, Souza faz gol contra o Fluminense após cruzamento de letra de Léo Lima"] {{webarchive. link. (3 January 2015 . Globoesporte.com. {{in lang). pt
  18. [http://www.ole.com.ar/mundial/bosnia/Mira-rabona-Rojo_3_1157314296.html "Mirá la rabona de Rojo"]. Olé.com. {{in lang. es
  19. (21 April 2022). "Six Years Ago Today, Erik Lamela Shocked World Football with Ridiculous 20-Yard Rabona".
  20. (23 October 2014). "Erik Lamela rabona: Was this the greatest goal ever scored?".
  21. "'It had me off my feet for five minutes!' - Watch Lamela's incredible 'rabona' goal". BBC Sport.
  22. (14 March 2021). "Erik Lamela rabona goal: Watch Tottenham winger pull off magic against Arsenal in North London derby".
  23. [http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/article/carruscas-ffa-cup-rabona-has-fans-abuzz/1vyelfc9vfe1tzl6d4y7mgfo2 "Carrusca’s FFA Cup rabona has fans abuzz"]. Football Australia. Retrieved 20 September 2015
  24. (14 July 2015). "Jordan Henderson produces sublime rabona assist during Liverpool's first pre-season game". metro.co.uk.
  25. (14 September 2016). "West Ham's Dimitri Payet defends rabona against Watford". Sky Sports.
  26. (14 January 2016). "Carlos Bacca scores rabona goal for AC Milan v Carpi in Coppa Italia". Sky Sports.
  27. (3 May 2009). "Palermo, cinquina da Uefa Miccoli spegne il Cagliari". La Gazzetta dello Sport.
  28. (9 September 2015). "VIDEO: Mario Balotelli just did THIS for AC Milan - Liverpool fans react". GiveMeSport.
  29. (19 July 2015). "Diego Maradona left stunned after Jonathan Calleri scores exceptional rabona chip". The Telegraph.
  30. (25 November 2016). "Diego Perotti scores with Rabona for Roma". World Soccer.
  31. Caitlin Murray. (5 February 2017). "This Celtic passing sequence (with a rabona and backheel flick!) will make you swoon". FoxSports.com.
  32. (14 September 2019). "Watch: Zahavi's rabona goal seals dramatic win".
  33. (18 September 2020). "CLASSY Robert Lewandowski pulls off outrageous RABONA assist as Bayern Munich smash Schalke 8-0 on first day of new Bundesliga season".
  34. Vurley, Callum. (2024-02-13). "Hull City star given credit for 'goal of the century' as EFL overturn decision".
  35. (18 December 2014). "Was Liverpool's 51-pass move against Bournemouth the best team goal ever scored?". Daily Mirror.
  36. "The Tuscaloosa News - Búsqueda en el Archivo de Google Noticias".
  37. "mlssoccer.com".
  38. Sherman, Rodger. (3 January 2015). "Kansas State tries rabona onside kick at Alamo Bowl".
  39. "Tango Vocabulary".
  40. (16 December 2016). "María Remedios del Valle. 'La Capitana', 'Madre de la Patria' y 'Niña de Ayohuma'. Historiografía, memoria y representaciones en torno a esta figura singular". Nuevo Mundo Mundos Nuevos.
  41. (April 2014). "Indios y mujeres en la Guerra del Pacífico Actores invisibilizados en el conflicto". Fuentes, Revista de la Biblioteca y Archivo Histórico de la Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional.
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